Shiny! A Firefly Marathon!

The fan-favorite TV series Firefly has a lot to say about the virtues of independence and self-determination, so it is completely appropriate that Discovery’s Science channel would choose July 4 as the day to rebroadcast the entire 14-episode series as an all-day marathon to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show’s original broadcast. This will be followed on July 13 by a reunion panel at San Diego Comic-Con which will include writer-director Joss Whedon and the entire cast.

The series was not a hit when originally broadcast, the network (FOX) seemingly going out of its way to make sure nobody saw it; Firefly was frequently preempted by sports broadcasts, and when it did air, the episodes were run out of order, making the series difficult to follow. It was also frequently moved to different days and time-slots, and FOX insisted on marketing it as an action-comedy, all of which produced a very low viewership that put the show in 98th place in the Nielsen ratings. The result was that even though Whedon had plotted a seven-year story, Firefly was canceled after only 11 episodes had aired. Three more episodes that had been completed were included when the series was re-run on other networks and in the eventual DVD release. The Science Channel began airing Firefly in March of 2011.

The ongoing popularity of the series in subsequent airings, and the strong sales of the DVD set, were sufficient to justify the production and release of a feature film, Serenity, to follow up on the story of the nine-person crew of Captain Mal Reynolds’ Firefly Class spaceship of the same name. A number of comic books continued the tale and fleshed out the back-stories of the characters. Joss Whedon‘s subsequent success with a little project called The Avengers indicates the enormity of FOX’s colossal error in failing to support Firefly when they had the chance.

I happen to be one of those people who came to Firefly fandom late; I was peripherally aware of the show’s existence in 2002, but just never happened to catch it in my limited TV viewing at the time. At times over the years, people have told me I should watch the show, but I never got around to it until a friend loaned us the box set. I was instantly hooked and wished I had been smart enough to become a Browncoat (the term for fans of the show, derived from the nickname for the rebel army of which Mal was a former officer) a lot sooner. Coming to the series so much later, I have enjoyed spotting actors who later became much more well-known; not only regulars Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau and Adam Baldwin, but also guest stars such as Christina Hendricks of Mad Men fame. If you happen to be one of those who just never got around to watching Firefly, Independence Day is an ideal opportunity to fire up the DVR and catch one of the smartest and most fun series ever broadcast. (Note: some of the themes and situations on Firefly are somewhat mature, including some violence and sexual innuendo; as always, we leave it to you to be the best judge of what is appropriate TV for your children.)

To help you get started, here is a brief summary of the setup and characters:

About 500 years in the future, the last two remaining super-powers on Earth (the United States and China) have fused into one government called The Alliance. Due to overpopulation and exhausted natural resources, Earth became all but uninhabitable, and the majority of the population migrated to a large number of worlds in another solar system. Some worlds became the seat of government and home to the elite (“Core worlds”) while those on the distant edge of civilization reverted to a more primitive pioneer lifestyle (“Rim worlds”). Eventually the Alliance decided that all colonized worlds would be brought under direct governmental control; many of the rim worlds chose to fight to maintain their independence. The rebels, called “browncoats,” fought hard, but were eventually defeated. Malcolm (“Mal”) Reynolds was an officer in the rebel forces and one of the few survivors of the Battle of Serenity Valley, the turning point of the war.

After the war ended, Mal acquired a dilapidated spaceship (Firefly class, so named due to the bright glow at the rear produced by the engine), which he named Serenity; he became a freelance operator, officially running a hauling-and-transport business. Unofficially, much of his “hauling and transport” involves the smuggling of contraband, stolen goods, and fugitives. He has taken on a crew of diverse characters who have formed an uneasy family of sorts aboard the ship:

Zoe (Gina Torres): At the Battle of Serenity Valley, Zoe Alleyne was Mal’s loyal second-in-command, and she continues in that role as first officer of Serenity. She is the only member of the crew who always addresses Mal as “Sir” and acts as if his instructions are orders, though she does occasionally question the wisdom of his decisions and offers advice. She is married to Wash.

Wash (Alan Tudyk): The pilot of Serenity (full name: Hoban Washburne), an extremely capable pilot and a bit of a goofball (he keeps a collection of toy dinosaurs on his console and plays with them occasionally). Wash occasionally worries that he doesn’t get to take part in any of the great adventures of the other crew members, being required to stay aboard the ship in order to facilitate the getaway.

Inara (Morena Baccarin): Inara lives and works aboard Serenity; she rents one of the two shuttle craft, which serves as her home, where she also entertains clients as a certified Companion, which is something like what used to be called a courtesan. Her occupation, which includes psychological counseling and emotional nurturing of clients in addition to the more “physical” duties, is a source of conflict between her and Mal, though there is clearly an attraction between the two that they both resist.

Jayne (Adam Baldwin): A big, brutish mercenary, Jayne became part of the crew when he and another goon tried to hijack Serenity; Mal convinced him to quit working for the other gang by offering better pay and his own quarters. He occasionally surprises the others by revealing a gentler side. Despite being a truly menacing figure, there are things Jayne is afraid of, most notably the Reavers, nomadic mutant cannibals that attack spacecraft on the rim.

Kaylee (Jewel Staite): The ship’s mechanic, a simple farm girl with an almost supernatural affinity for machinery, Kaylee can be “one of the guys” while simultaneously displaying a soft femininity. She is always positive and cheerful, and has a crush on Simon.

Book (Ron Glass): A “Shepherd,” in other words, a minister, Book nonetheless seems to have an extensive knowledge of military tactics, weaponry and criminal activity, and is somewhat evasive on the subject of his background. The other members of the Serenity crew often come to him for his advice and counsel, which is usually helpful. He relates to River more than most of the others are able to.

Simon (Sean Maher): A brilliant surgeon, Simon is a fugitive from the Alliance, having successfully broken his sister River out of a government “school” that was actually performing experiments on her brain. He is a bit of a snob, coming from a wealthy background on one of the core planets, and sometimes thoughtlessly says things that Kaylee finds insulting. He is too stuffy and reserved to admit his attraction to her at first.

River (Summer Glau): A child prodigy, River was recruited to a special program for gifted teens, where Alliance researchers attempted to enhance her mental abilities, a process that has left her apparently schizophrenic and possibly precognitive, telepathic and telekinetic. When under stress, she is nearly psychotic and displays lethal abilities, both physical and psychic. The Alliance is actively seeking to recapture her, which results in a few dangerous situations for the Firefly and its crew.

Here are descriptions of the fourteen Firefly episodes, as spoiler-free as I can make them, along with their air times during the July 4 marathon:

Episode 1: Serenity
8:00 AM (ET/PT)
In this original pilot episode, the crew transports passengers to another planet to sell salvaged goods only to discover that an undercover Alliance agent is on board the Serenity.

Episode 2: The Train Job
10:00 AM (ET/PT)Serenity continues to travel through space conducting illegal runs across the star system, which is under the control of the Alliance. A powerful and fearsome mobster named Adelei Niska demands that the crew of Serenity pull a train robbery on a mining planet.

Episode 3: Bushwhacked
11:00 AM (ET/PT)
On a salvage mission aboard a drifting colony ship, the Serenity crew finds signs that the crew of the deserted ship was killed by the cannibalistic Reavers. Things take a turn for the worse when an Alliance ship shows up looking for a fugitive brother-and-sister.

Episode 4: Shindig
12:00 AM (ET/PT)
On the planet Persephone, the crew is contacted by their old “friend” Badger, the ruthless crime lord, to transport some goods on behalf of a local lord. While at a ball to arrange the transport job, Mal defends Inara’s honor when her current client insults her, and unintentionally challenges the man to a duel.

Episode 5: Safe
1:00 PM (ET/PT)
Mal must choose which crew members to save when one is gravely wounded and two others are kidnapped. Simon finds an uneasy haven in a remote village, but River’s behavior jeopardizes their temporary safety. Simon is kidnapped by locals who need a doctor, while River is threatened with burning as a witch.

Episode 6: Our Mrs. Reynolds
2:00 PM (ET/PT)
While completing a job on a backwater world, Mal unwittingly participates in a ceremony that is actually a marriage; when the girl, Saffron (Christina Hendricks), stows away on Serenity, Mal is not sure what to do with her, but agrees to take her to their next destination. The new Mrs. Reynolds has other ideas.

Episode 7: Jaynestown
3:00 PM (ET/PT)
The Serenity crew pulls a job in a town where Jayne is considered the local version of Robin Hood, a status that has left him with a few lifelong enemies. Meanwhile, Kaylee and Simon dance, River rewrites Book’s bible, and Inara is contracted to “make a man” of the local magistrate’s son.

Episode 8: Out of Gas
4:00 PM (ET/PT)
Following an explosion in Serenity‘s engine, the crew is left with only hours of oxygen. After sending the crew away in the shuttles, Mal tries to repair the engine. In a delirious state, as the ship’s oxygen supply is being depleted, Mal remembers how he came to own Serenity and assemble his crew.

Episode 9: Ariel
5:00 PM (ET/PT)
On the core planet of Ariel, Simon hires the crew to smuggle River into a hospital so he can figure out what the Alliance did to her. The plan goes off without a hitch, until the Alliance is informed of the fugitives’ presence on the planet.

Episode 10: War Stories
6:00 PM (ET/PT)
Jealous of Zoe’s relationship with Mal, Wash insists that he go with Mal to try to sell some of the medical supplies the crew stole from the Alliance. In the middle of the deal, Mal and Wash are kidnapped by men working for Niska, the crime lord. Meanwhile, Inara extends her services to a council member, and Simon continues to treat River with some of the medicine he stole.

Episode 11: Trash
7:00 PM (ET/PT)
Saffron (from “Our Mrs. Reynolds”) returns – after Mal breaks up her current gig, she convinces him and the crew to help out with a “perfect crime” that isn’t. The crime: go to Bellerophon and steal a criminal’s prototype laser gun from his collection. (Fun fact: The prop laser gun used in this episode later turns up in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog as his death ray.)

Episode 12: The Message
8:00 PM (ET/PT)
An old war comrade of Mal’s and Zoe’s ships his corpse to them along with a message asking them to deliver his body to his family. Some men, claiming to be with the Alliance, are on the trail of the body and catch up to them demanding the corpse.

Episode 13: Heart of Gold
9:00 PM (ET/PT)
The Serenity goes to the moon of Deadwood to answer a distress call from Inara’s old friend, who runs a brothel. The Serenity crew defends the bordello from a prominent citizen who fathered a baby by one of the prostitutes and now intends to take the child from her.

Episode 14: Objects in Space
July 4 at 10:00 PM (ET/PT)Serenity encounters a ruthlessly professional bounty hunter who will stop at nothing to retrieve River. But River, feeling unwelcome on the ship, takes a novel approach to escaping from the long arm of the Alliance.

Jim MacQuarrie is a father of three, balloon animal twister, archery instructor, cartoonist, graphic designer, gadfly, former homeless person, and occasional writer. He and his bride of 27 years own the lifestyle blog Blue Collar, Black Tie.